1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wearable devices and smart clothes, and more specifically to automatic activation/deactivation of wearable devices and smart clothes.
2. Background Information
Clothing and fashion are important for a number of people. Clothing serves many functions, for example, protecting our skin and warming our body. Also, clothing can be made to be personalized to the wearer. People wear different kinds of clothes, casual, formal, fashionable, etc. Using clothing, people signal and express things about themselves such as mood, hobbies, status, etc.
Digital or smart clothing describes combining clothing with information technology. This includes the incorporation of digital devices as part of the clothing. The digital devices may be contained in the clothing, or attachable to the clothing. In order for digitality in clothing to be effective, the digitality must be cheap and washable. Further, there must be a method of activating the digital clothing devices. Moreover, it may be desired to know when an article of clothing has been closed, or whether a pocket is open or not.
Therefore, a need exists for a method of activating smart clothing, providing status information of different parts of the clothing to an electronic device integrated into or attached to the clothing, and providing interconnectability and control of electronic devices integrated into or attached to clothing.
The present invention is directed to a method for controlling wearable electronic devices and smart clothing that includes: integrating an electronic circuit into one or more fastening devices on a piece of clothing; and controlling one or more electronic devices based on a position of the at least one fastening device.
Further, the present invention is directed to an article of clothing that includes: one or more fastening devices where some of the fastening devices contain an electronic circuit integral therewith; and one or more electronic devices where the electronic devices are controlled or monitored based on a position of the fastening device. The position of the fastening device determining how much the fastening device is fastened.
Moreover, the present invention is directed to a data zipper system that includes a zipper, one or more conductive cables, one or more sensors, and one or more controllers. The zipper includes a plurality of interlocking teeth. Each conductive cables includes two parts. Each of the two parts are integral with one tooth of a pair of conducting interlocking teeth that are part of the plurality of interlocking teeth. The two parts are brought into conducting positions completing the conductive cable when the pair of conducting interlocking teeth are interlocked. The conducting position allows information transfer through the conductive cable; Each sensor is operably connected to at least one conductive cable. Each controller is operably connected to at least one conductive cable and at least one sensor. The controllers may control the sensors.
The present invention is also directed to a zipper assembly that includes a zipper and one or more conductive cables. The zipper includes a plurality of interlocking teeth. Each conductive cable includes two parts, where each of the two parts is integral with one tooth of a pair of conducting interlocking teeth that are part of the plurality of interlocking teeth. The two parts are brought into conducting positions forming the conductive cable when the pair of conducting interlocking teeth are interlocked. The conducting position allows information transfer through the conductive cables.